ariobscura's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Sfogliatella
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Sweets

Sfogliatella

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.
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Struffoli
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Sweets

Struffoli

These Neapolitan Christmas sweets double as decorations.
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Castagne del Prete
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Sweets

Castagne del Prete

To do Christmas right, Italians turn to heavenly chestnuts.
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Ice Wine
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Drinks

Ice Wine

Pressed from frozen grapes, this prized wine was a sweet accident.
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San Marzano Tomatoes
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Fruits & Vegetables

San Marzano Tomatoes

Grown in the volcanic soil around Mt. Vesuvius, these tomatoes are one of only a couple varieties used in authentic Neapolitan pizza.
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Oscypek
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Meats & Animal Products

Oscypek

In Poland's highlands, a small group makes a beautiful, smoky sheep's milk cheese.
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Pączki
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Sweets

Pączki

These Polish pre-Lent doughnuts have taken on a life (and an eating contest) of their own in the United States.
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Nakládaný Hermelín
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Meats & Animal Products

Nakládaný Hermelín

The pungent pickled cheese is a popular Czech bar snack.
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Mozartkugel
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Sweets

Mozartkugel

Like the famed composer himself, this Mozart-homage bonbon originated in Salzburg, Austria.
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Tokaji Eszencia
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Drinks

Tokaji Eszencia

A wine so luxuriously sweet, it's consumed by the spoonful.
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Unicum
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Drinks

Unicum

A bitter liqueur that traces the history of a Hungarian-Jewish family.
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Túró Rudi
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Sweets

Túró Rudi

Hungary's favorite chocolate bar is filled with cheese curd.
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Mangalica
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Meats & Animal Products

Mangalica

These woolly pigs produce the “Kobe beef of pork.”
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Lángos
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Prepared Foods

Lángos

This Hungarian fried dough can make a rich breakfast or trusty hangover cure.
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Maror
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Maror

The bitter herb served on Passover can be anything from horseradish to lettuce.
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Ginjinha
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Drinks

Ginjinha

In Lisbon, tiny, standing-room-only bars specialize in this sour cherry liqueur.
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Francesinha
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Prepared Foods

Francesinha

A sandwich so decadent, it was once inappropriate for women to order one.
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Absinthe Spoon
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Absinthe Spoon

This flat, silver spoon holds an exalted place in the mystery and ritual of absinthe drinking.
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Rillettes
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Prepared Foods

Rillettes

Spread this fat-poached meat on a crusty French loaf.
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Aligot
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Prepared Foods

Aligot

These extra-cheesy potatoes resemble decadent fondue.
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Irish Potato Candy
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Sweets

Irish Potato Candy

This sweet spud is neither made with tubers, nor of Irish origin.
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Pickleback
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Drinks

Pickleback

A bar sharing a basement with a pickle place led to an unusual drink.
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Nathan’s Famous French Fry Fork
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Nathan’s Famous French Fry Fork

The hot dog chain’s charming “bi-dent” picks up potatoes with ease.
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Espresso Coffee Soda
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Drinks

Espresso Coffee Soda

A dark soda with a dark history.
Gastro Obscura